Rep. Harder Reminds Families to Double Check Passports Before Summer Vacations
Harder’s office recently helped Jonathan Velez from Tracy get his passport just days before his family vacation.
WASHINGTON - Rep. Josh Harder’s office has seen an influx in requests from families needing help with expediated passports as summer vacations near. Rep. Harder has helped 56 people this year receive their backlogged passports, including expediting Jonathan Velez’s passport renewal just days before he was set to leave for his family vacation to South America. Velez submitted his passport renewal on January 13th with expedited processing and had not received it by March 8th when he reached Harder's office for help. Harder’s office was able to locate the issue, push Velez’s request through, and have the passport shipped overnight from the San Diego Passport Center before his March 13th departure. 33 of the 56 passport cases this year have been over the past three weeks due to spring breaks and the return of vacation season.
“If you’re spending months planning and tons of money on a family vacation, the last thing you want to worry about is whether or not your passport is going to show up in time,” said Rep. Harder. “We’re in the busy season for requests right now, so I encourage everyone to dig up their passports and check those expiration dates ASAP. My office is here to help anyone in San Joaquin County get their passports renewed especially if you’re at risk of missing an international flight.”
Mr. Velez was so grateful for the help with this passport, he sent Harder’s office postcards from his trip thanking them for their work:
It may take up to 10 to 13 weeks for a routine passport request or 7 to 9 weeks for an expedited request.
For San Joaquin County residents who need help with a passport request, call Representative Josh Harder’s office at: 209-579-5458 or email at: casework.CA09@mail.house.gov
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